I'm interested to know how many riders on this forum regularly use the Dandenong Creek Trail & the new Eastlink Trail in Melb. I'm up and down between Dandenong and Ringwood regularly and have started using Eastlink to get up to the Eastern freeway tracks & Doncaster. Whatever my plans are they always involve a cappacino at the Jells Park Cafe.

If there's enough interest I might try and organise a get together at the park for like minded riders to catch up. Anything to help with motivation to get out on the bike as the days get colder has got to be good!

I've ridden the section from the Dandenong bypass to Patterson Lakes. Don't get too excited about it. The sealed path only goes to Greens rd. after that it's the same old gravel path ripped apart by motorbikes in places, and going right past the sewerage works. If you do venture down that section of path be very careful, as just on the northern side of the National Watersports Centre there are a number of long erosion cracks in the gravel that can swallow your wheel if you are caught unawares. After all the inconvenience of blocked path or detours, I was really disappointed. The publicity made claims of a sealed path for the entire length, and Eastlink ends less than 2km from work. Instead, there is no path that didn't exist previously, and they have severed the final leg of my low traffic route to work.

There are a few forumers here who live quite close to it. I pass it regularly, but have yet to venture onto the 'shared trail/bike track'. Yeh, I'd be in on an organised ride. Be good to put a few faces to 'names'. Is the cafe licenced?

I checked out the 'safety' camera's at Wellington Rd, the only safety cameras are the redlight/speed camera's in my opinion! These ones are just revenue raisers.. These buggers are right under the bridge hidden away.

Seeing Eastlink was quiet I thought I would try my luck...

No one around.... until I started to ride on it!

Heaps of cars passed me by and waved... I was lucky until around Burwood Highway, there I told I shouldn't be here, so i got off.

Good to see a few ride the tracks. I have actually ridden regularly from Dandy down the track to carrum. I often continue north up the track to Mordiallic. None of the Carrum to Mordi track is sealed but I like that and its all flat. I have noticed the erosion hazards on the track to carrum. Need to keep the eyes open for sure. I'm tied up for the next few weekends but first chance I get I'll post a ride plan for those interested.

Every now and then I ride the following loop which uses a bit of the Dandy creek trail and is guaranteed to test you at some point with the winds: Total of about 106km-

Dandy to Jells park via trail
Jells park to city via Scotchmans crk tail
city to st kilda and down the beach trail to Carrum
carrum back to dandy via the track.

In fact I'm hoping to do it tomorrow.

I have resisted the temptation to ride eastlink itself but it would be great. I'm looking forward to the section b/w Maroondah hwy and Springvale rd being completed. Despite the critisism levelled at the carrum end of the track, overall I think the crew involved in putting the track together have done a great job. And the toll price for riders is just right. Zip!

I work in Carrum Downs, and extended my homeward commute the past two nights. Last night I rode the Carrum to Dandenong South section, then followed the new shared path alongside the Dandenong bypass. Tonight I rode the same way but kept following the Eastlink trail as far as I could. It is sealed from Greens rd. on, and I was able to ride it to about 2km south of Police rd. At that point there was a large cyclone fence with construction zone signs on it. I didn't have time to explore around that area to see how far the trail was blocked for, so at that point I returned to the roads and rode home. The bike trails are okay, but for the most part I find if I want to actually go anywhere in a reasonable time, the roads are better.

Dcyclist wrote:I was able to ride it to about 2km south of Police rd. At that point there was a large cyclone fence with construction zone signs on it. I didn't have time to explore around that area to see how far the trail was blocked for

The trail is blocked between Police and Halton Roads, they are completely blocking this section using the underpasses. This is also the section where some clowns on MTB's destroyed a 6 or so metres of fresh concrete. So I don't expect they will leave these sections open until the repairs are done.

The way to get around this section is ride east on Halton rd to Gladstone rd, head North up the hill... follow the bend West then get back on the trail.

Thanks for the tip Blaze, it wasn't a big issue for me at the time as I was just doing a sticky-beak ride. I didn't really have much more time left for riding when I got to the fence anyway. For actual commuting use I still reckon your just as well, if not better off using roads. At least that's the case for me. Using the paths doubles my distance, (or more), and significantly reduces my average speed.

I used to enjoy toodling to Jells and grabbing a 'Big Breakfast' with my uncle...those were the days. It is a very pleasant ride actually...especially since the section though Koomba Park (?) was sealed, you can get a bit of pace happening along there. Great at night too though one must be weary of 'unsavouries'...

My commute takes me along Eastlink Trail. I've found that between my home, Croydon South near Eastfield and Bayswater Roads, to work in Hallam (near crnr. Princes Hwy. and South Gippsland Fwy.) the commute on the bike paths adds only 4 kilometres - compared to driving - measured with bikemap.net. Overall my commute uses Taralla Creek Trail, Dandenong Creek Trail and Eastlink Trail with a few bike paths along roads. (If you want to see it on bikemap.net it's called "Commute from Croydon South to Mitre10").

After a few commutes I realised my bike doesn't fit well enough for long rides (anything over 30minutes) and will be purchasing a new one, eventually.

Does anyone know if the bridge over Burwood Hwy. is finished? I can't see it from the road.

First post... I regularly ride the eastlink trail on weekends getting on from Wellengton road, following all the way until I get to the Eastern Freeway, then ride the Eastern all the way into the city stopping off at Lygon street for a coffee then through the city to the scotchman's creek trail back to the South Eastern suburbs. All up about 80ks.

Runjikol wrote:Does anyone know if the bridge over Burwood Hwy. is finished? I can't see it from the road.

Lured me to post - we live near this part of the Eastlink trail.

I think last weekend (from the evening of Fri 29th-Sat 30th May) there was some road closure that I thought meant that the bridge was going to go up ... but as at this evening on the way home from work, the bridge hasn't been finished. Hoping that it will get done soon, would be nice for a change of scenery for my slow shuffles with the jogging stroller, and our family rides with the stroller hitched to the back of a bike (:

Noticed a few weeks ago there is some work going on just off the trail in between FTG rd and Wellington rd near where the new servo's have been built on Eastlink. Looking at a map this would be the most logical spot for the trail to be linked up to the the Ferny Creek trail which I've read somewhere was part of future plans but cant see anything on the Eastlink site to say it is happening. Anyone know if this was part of the deal to let them build petrol stations there?

The shared path between the BP servo and Wellington Road through Dandenong Creek Wetlands is being built at the moment.

A connection from Ferny Creek Trail at Stud Road to the new shared path seems to cross Caribbean Gardens and the private industrial estate lands. This would possibly mean a lot of works to get it there.

Well that is odd. I've read in a few places online that Bicycle Victoria have campaigned for the trails to be connected. There is a small creek that runs next to Carribbean Gardens which passes under Eastlink and Stud rd. From Google earth there looks to be plenty of room for a path to go along side it under Eastlink but Stud rd probably not, although there is a set of traffic lights not far back towards FTG rd. If they've been given funding just to build a path to the petrol station/Maccas, that is a disgrace.

danny the boy wrote:Well that is odd. I've read in a few places online that Bicycle Victoria have campaigned for the trails to be connected. There is a small creek that runs next to Carribbean Gardens which passes under Eastlink and Stud rd. From Google earth there looks to be plenty of room for a path to go along side it under Eastlink but Stud rd probably not, although there is a set of traffic lights not far back towards FTG rd. If they've been given funding just to build a path to the petrol station/Maccas, that is a disgrace.

A bit of a hunt around on Land Channel confirms what I had always believed about that path option and why it has not been built - there is no public land access available. Apart from the creek itself you have Caribbean Gardens and the industrial estate on he north bank, and Kingston Links Golf Course and Stamford Park (owned by Knox Council part of which is being set aside for wetlands and open space) on the south bank. Basically there is no route through without negotiating an access way with a private landholder or two.

No disgrace, just a negotiation process that probably requires user-group lobbying, political will and maybe a change of ownership. Time is involved.

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